Building-brick



(No Model.) J. LEE.

BUILDINGBRIGK. No. 274,449. Patented Mar.Z0,1888.

UNITED STATES JOHN LEE, OF RUSSELL, OHIO.

BUILDING-BRICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 274,449, dated March20, 1883.-

A Application filed January 2,1833. (NOlilOtlOLl I exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to niakeand use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this specification.

M y invention relates to the manufacture of bricks or building-blocks;and my invention consists in forming a brick or block practically hollowand perforated, so that when laid in the wall the wall will contain anair-space, and all danger of a damp and unwholcsome building isobviated.

It consists, further, in forming a flange or rim around the inner upperedge of the cavity, by which thebrick can he more easily handled, andalso serves asa safeguard to prevent the bricks orblocks from warping ortwisting while being burned.

My invention consists, further, in certain details in the constructionof corner-bricks and in the structure of the wall, which will be morefully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a view in perspective of the bottom of my preferred form ofbrick. Fig.2 is a top view. Fig. 3 is a sectional view. Fig. 4 is atopview of theccrner of the wall, showing the lap of the corner-bricks.Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a modified form of brick. Fig. 6 is asectional view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, Adesignates my preferred form of brick, whichmay be of any required dimensions; but for the most prac-' tical andbest results in walls of ordinary thickness I make them twelve incheslong, nine inches wide, and six inches thick. The central portion of thebrick is made hollow, as shown. The upper portion of said cavity isrounded at the corners, so that it forms an arch to resist thecompression strain of the superstructure. This rounded portion is shownat a, Fig. 3. The upper edges of the brick are provided with aninwardly-projecting flange,B,iu which .is formed a recess, b,whichenters the main cavity A of the brick, and thus produces a .ing andburning.

continuous air-space within the wall when properly laid. The projectingflange B is a very important feature of my invention. It gives strengthand rigidity to the block at the very point required. It serves as ahand-hold for workmen to more readily handle and place the blocks in therequired position, and also serves as a strengthening-rib to prevent theblocks from twisting and warping in the kiln while being burned.Furthermore, the flange, by projecting over from the upper edge, serves,to arrest the products of combustion in the kiln in theirpassage throughthe bricks in the process of burning, and insures a uniform burning ofthe bricks in all their parts, so that one portion will not beoverburned or the products of combustion wasted by its too free passagethrough the kiln.

(3 indicates thecornerbrick, which is recessed on its edge, as shown atc by full lines, Fig. 4, so as to fit into a smaller recess in theabutting brick D of the adjacent or joining wall, and thus a perfectbond of union is secured between the walls. Corner bricks o'f suchconstruction are not necessary, except where the brick are made wideenough to form the entire thickness of the wall. here their length isdouble the width of the brick, so that they can be laid as headers andstretchers, it is not'necessar'y. Bricks of any angle or pitch for thegable ends of buildings may also be made hollow and with the samecharacteristics as the ones just described 5 and Ido not wish to limitmyself to bricks of any particular peripheral outline. The bricks U andD are readily formed by placing a piece of wood or metal within the moldand having a correspondin g piece made detachable from the plunger; orseparate mold or plunger may be used in the manufacture of thecorner-brick.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modification, in which case the wallsof the hollow brick are connected by a cross-piece, d, which answerswell for a hand-hold and prevents the brick from warping during theprocess of dry- The advantages of my preferred form of brick areobvious, and may be stated as follows: The flange affords a handhold forthe mason to more readily handle the brick and protects them fromwarping during the drying and burning process. By making the brickspractically hollow, free circulation IOO of air is permitted in theWalls of the building to keep them dry. In burning such brick the insideand outside are burned alike and with a much less expenditure of fuelthan in the burning of the ordinary brick. Less clay is used in themanufacture of such brick, and by making them of the size specified muchless mortar is used in setting them in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1.v A hollow brick or building-block the upper edge of which is providedwith an inwardly-projecting perforated flange, B, as and for the purposeset forth.

2. A hollow brick or building-block the up- JOHN LEE.

Witnesses:

G. M. Ross,

W. I. KIEFER.

